George Russell and his "one-brick theory"

      This season George Russell will reach the milestone of 150 Grands Prix and, at a meeting with young Singaporean drivers organized with the support of the local UBS branch, one of Mercedes’ sponsors, spoke about his approach to work at this stage of his career, stressing that he is ready to fight for the championship title.

      “I’m approaching my 150th Formula 1 race,” The Straits Times quotes Russell as saying. “I try to assess the situation here and now and plan only for the near future. I know that if I do everything right today, tomorrow and the day after, I will ultimately reach my long-term goal.

      I remember reading a book as a child in which a boy was building a big wall with his father and said that the task depressed him. And his father told him, ‘Don’t think about the wall, just think about laying one brick. Laying one brick is simple, and the wall will be finished before you even realise it.’

      The same happens in life. You don’t think about the end goal, you only think about laying one brick today and another one the next day — and so on. That way you can complete all the big tasks you set yourself before you even realise it.

      I feel ready to fight for the championship. I have felt that for a long time. But only one driver and one team can achieve that. It’s rare for two drivers from two different teams to contend for the title, but you must never lose hope.

      I’m 27 years old, and I fight every day because I don’t know when my chance will come. Maybe this weekend in Singapore, maybe in 2026, maybe in 2028. But I have no doubt my time will come.

      Just recently I was working on the simulator with the 2026 car and the new engine. Next season huge opportunities open up for Mercedes and for any other team. We understand that we won’t be able to win the championship this season, but of course we continue to fight to finish second — that is our goal. But the point is that we all want to achieve wins in 2026 and we are preparing for that.

      Speaking about the upcoming race, we have seen over the course of the season that our car suits cooler conditions better. So, unfortunately, it is likely that in Singapore we won’t be able to achieve the results we hope for. However, surprises are always possible here.”